Making mountains talk: A 46-word band interview

Columbus, Ohio band Mount Carmel is a band of few words but ample reverb.

Listening to this band’s instensely bluesy rock ‘n roll can be a little disorienting. You know the songs were written and recorded recently by 20-somethings, but their sound is old-school in a way that makes it hard to believe this material wasn’t recorded before 1978.

When you hear the classic rock guitar riffs as Mount Carmel sings about how there ain’t no real women anymore, you’re going to want to buy this band’s entire catalog on vinyl.

I interviewed Pat Reed, Mount Carmel’s bass player, hoping to gain more insight into the band but honestly, I didn’t have much luck — the 46 words he used to respond to my questions didn’t tell me much. Hey, no judgment fellas. Rock ‘n’ roll keeps you busy.

To help you guys out, I offered my own translations of Reed’s responses — translations that may, in fact, be completely inaccurate. This is the first time in my journalism career that I have basically made up answers to my own questions, but I think we can all agree that I nailed it.

Here’s what Reed — and my imaginary rock ‘n roll hallucination of Reed, who is wearing leather pants, obviously — had to say:

Q Considering that I was born at Mount Carmel hospital in Columbus, where you’re from, I’m a little curious about how your band got its name.
A Me and my brother Matt were born at Mount Carmel West. My translation: After entering the world at Mount Carmel West Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, my brother Matt and I found the birthing process so pleasant, we thought, ‘Hey, we should name a band after this.’

Q Tell me about this tour you’re on — is this your first time in Texas?
A We are on some shows supporting Down and then we swing south by ourselves. Yes, we were there in 2010 for SXSW. My translation: We’re playing some shows supporting New Orleans metal band Down, then we head south by ourselves. We have been to Texas before — we played Austin music/film/interactive festival South by Southwest in 2010. As you can tell by the enthusiasm in our responses, we just think Texas is swell.

Q There is an unmistakably bluesy sound to the rock ‘n roll you specialize in — what is it about Ohio that yields such killer blues-tinged rock artists like the Black Keys and Patrick Sweeny?
A Dunno. My translation: We’re on tour, lady. We don’t have time for this crap.

Q The tracks I heard on your MySpace page have a seriously vintage sound — the late ‘60s and ‘70s came immediately to mind. What era of music has influenced you guys the most?
A The ‘90s. My translation: I hate you.

Q What has been your favorite band that y’all have opened for? If you could open for anyone, who would it be?
A The Sword and Down have both been awesome. Tom Petty. My translation: Opening for Down and Austin heavy metal/rock band The Sword has been a lovely experience. We would kill to open for Tom Petty.